It’s always a treat to get to walk back to my apartment with my best friend on a Saturday evening. Most times we just hang around and debate about our geeky interests: things like anime, Star Wars and science fiction novels.
Illuminating our walking path, hiding among a thick veil of clouds, was a full moon. The sky that night was a shade of dark indigo, like blackberries as they ripen on the vine and there was a chill in the air: The kiss of the oncoming autumn.
After doing a quick Google search, I deduced that this was the first full moon of Autumn, or the Harvest Moon. The moon was smiling at us – at least, I believed it was.
This moon was particularly significant because it occurred four days after the Autumn Equinox on Sept. 22.
This full moon is called a Harvest Moon because it signals the coming of the harvest time. With pumpkins ready to be turned into spooky jack-o-lanterns or baked into fresh pies. Corn, squash, and beans are plucked to be added to soups and stews.
There are various different names for the Harvest Moon. Old English farmers called it the Barley Moon to ring in the cultivation of barley for malting and bread. There are different Indigenous names for it too, such as the Nut Moon for the Cherokee, who are located Southeast and the Snow Goose Moon for the Cree, a group who are up in Canada.
Festivals are held to celebrate the Harvest Moon. In China there is one called the Mid-Autumn Festival; It is considered a public holiday for China, Taiwan, Vietnam and other countries in east and southeast Asia.
Americans do not celebrate this moon as other countries do. As I stare at the fullness of it, I wonder if the moon could feel loved; Would it feel despair as it looks over us because we do not celebrate it as much as other places?
With this thought I determine that I am more than ready to embrace Autumn with open arms and celebrate my favorite season of the year.
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